1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a method and system for screening lubricating oil compositions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Formulation development of lubricating oil compositions can be difficult and time consuming due to the complexity of the formulation mixtures as well as the often competing performance properties of the lubricating oil additives used in the compositions. For example, in order to meet specifications of the United States Military Standards MIL-L-46152E and the International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) Standards defined by the Japanese and United States Automobile Industry Association, multiple competing test requirements need to be satisfied. As such, many different tests need to be carried out. Conventionally, these tests are carried out using different test apparatuses, are time-consuming, and are relatively expensive, particularly when applied to the hundreds of samples which may be required to be analyzed.
Presently, research in the lubricant industry involves individually forming candidate lubricating oil compositions and then performing a macro-scale analysis of the candidate compositions by employing a large amount of the candidate to be tested. Additionally, the methods employed for testing each candidate composition require manual operation. This, in turn, significantly reduces the number of compositions that can be tested and identified as leading lubricating oil compositions. Accordingly, existing approaches rely on the experience and intuition of the formulator to provide recommendations for new formulations.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method and system to rapidly identify leading lubricating oil compositions which meet, for example, industry specifications, customer specifications, etc., while also predicting the cost involved in making such compositions. Additionally, it would be desirable to carry out fewer manual tests on each of the compositions. In this manner, the preparation and screening of a vast number of diverse compositions can be achieved in a more expeditious and inexpensive manner.